“Wrong number” texts that become crypto investment scams
A friendly text “to the wrong number” turns into a friendship, then an investment tip.
Could you spot it?
2 quick examples. Decide scam or legit for each.
How it works
It starts with “Hi, is this Dr. Lee's office?” or “Are we still on for golf Saturday?”. When you say it's the wrong number, they apologize charmingly and keep chatting. Over days or weeks they become a friend, mention their success with crypto trading and show you a platform where your balance seems to grow. When you try to withdraw, there are fees and taxes to pay first, and then they disappear.
The trading site is fake. The profits on screen were never real.
Red flags
- A stranger who keeps chatting after a “wrong number” text.
- Talk of a wealthy relative, a mentor or a trading secret.
- A website or app you've never heard of where your “profits” grow fast.
- Fees or taxes you must pay before you can withdraw.
What it looks like
A text arrives from a number you don't know.
The tells:
- A stranger who keeps chatting after a wrong number.
- Wealth and crypto come up right away.
- Turning it into a connection.
A training example written for this site. Names, numbers and links are made up, and links are disabled.
What to do
- Don't reply to wrong-number texts from strangers. Delete and block them.
- Anyone promising guaranteed returns from crypto is a scammer.
If you already paid or shared information
- Contact the company you used to pay (your bank, card company, gift card company, payment app or wire service) right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
- If you shared a password, change it now and turn on two-factor authentication.
- If you gave out your Social Security number or other ID details, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For scams that happened online, you can also report to the FBI at ic3.gov.
From FTC: What to do if you were scammed.
Latest alerts about this scam
- FTC ·How to spot investment training scams on social media
Learn to trade online! Get rich! Quit your job! Social media is flooded with people flashing fancy cars and exotic trips, claiming you can have the same lifestyle just by “learning to trade.”
Sources
Related scams
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Payment app scams
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